That process was pushed back because of maintenance yard delays in Norfolk, stemming from repairs it underwent starting in 2015.

The six-month repair process ended up stretching to 13 months, Defense News notes. The website reports that the gap could last two months, and the George H.W. Bush — which is still in Norfolk — likely will not be in place before President-elect Donald Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration.

The military is dealing with the absence of a carrier in the Middle Eastern theater by bolstering its Air Force presence.